BUFFALO, N.Y. — Those who commute across the state by train are about to have a new experience when stopping at the Buffalo Exchange Street station.
The new Amtrak station features additional seating, more parking, a new platform, and even a Taste NY kiosk where visitors can experience locally made coffee and snacks.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the new station was completed on time, on budget, and is twice the size of the previous 66-year-old station. The station was designed and built by one entity under a $27.7 million contract.
"This new station will give travelers a convenient and comfortable location to connect with our local bus and rail services, and ensure visitors have a positive first impression of Western New York," Assemblyman Sean Ryan said.
The previous 1952-built station was demolished and a temporary station put in place until the new one was completed. The new station is energy efficient and compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
"For years, Buffalo's Exchange Street Amtrak Station sat neglected and often unusable, yet full of potential in the heart of our evolving downtown corridor. That changes today," said Senator Tim Kennedy, Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee.
An estimated 38,000 people use the station each year. The new station has also been built to accommodate a future expansion of bus and train routes in Buffalo.
The station also is connected to the metro rail by a new covered plaza and is built to better accommodate vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists as an intermodal transit station.
"With substantial input from our community, the new Exchange Street Station serves as a great interconnected gateway into downtown Buffalo, and will make travel easier for residents and visitors alike, while also spurring economic activity and tourism," Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said.
